Circuit breaker



Patented X116, 1948 CIRCUIT BREAKER Hans P. Luhn, Armbnk, N. Y., mmm u International Business Machines Corporation, New

York, N. Y., a corporation o! NewYork Application .March 17, 194s, serial No. 583,253

s claims. (o1. zoo-sz) This invention relates to-clrcuit breakers and more particularly to a circuit breaker in which contact is repeatedly made and broken through the action of a rotating element. I y

The principal object ofthe invention is to pro vide a simple dependable rotary circuit breaker which will be simple in construction and reliable in operation.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker in which a rotating element creates a radial stream of mercury through centrifugal action and in which this mercury stream is utilized to make and break. circuit connections as the element rotates.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the-drawings: 4

`liig. l is a sectional elevation of the circuit breaker. y

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on the lines 2-2 ol Fig. l.

In the drawings, Ill represents the main body of glass or other suitable insulating material, preferably of a ceramic nature, molded to form a plurality of cups II supported ln position by A radial Webs I2. Inserted through the bottoms of the four cups shown are metallic rods I3 which may be connected to suitable circuits. The body I0 is filled with mercury I4 to the level indicated and floating therein is an element l5 which may be termed a rotor, which has a central vertical duct i6 and two radially inclined ducts l1 with intersecting .ducts I8 above thelevel of cups II.3 This rotor 4s also preferably made of ceramic or other insulating material and inserted in its upper face is a permanent magnet I 9. The parts are so proportioned, having regard to the quantity of mercury employed, to bring the poles of magnet I9 into close proximity to the cover plate 20, which is of glass or other suitable material. The cover plate 20 is suitably attached so that the chamber formed in the body I0 is hermetically sealed and the air therein is replaced by a gas, for instance nitrogen. Located directly above cover 20 is a second magnet 2|, preferably U-shaped, with its poles close to the cover. This magnet is mounted on a shaft 22 and is suitably rotated by a motor or other source of power in synchronlsm with the machine which the circuit breaker is to control.

Rotation of magnet 2l will, through its' mag- 2 netic effect on magnet I9, cause the rotor I5 to turn in unison therewith. As the rotor turns, centrifugal action will force mercury to rise in ducts I6 and branch through ducts I1 and i8 from where a steady stream will extend into cups Il, so that there is an electrical connection between terminals 13 at diametrically opposite sides of the device extending, for example, in Fig. l

from the left hand terminal i3 through the mercury in the related cup il, thence through the mercury stream to the left hand ducts i8 and il, the right hand ducts Il and i8, and the stream therefrom to the mercury in the right hand cup ii'and right hand terminal i3.

It will be noted that the mercury passing to the cups ii will spill over the rims thereof and drop back into the main body of the mercury er the reservoir so that the level in both the cups and main body will remain relatively constant.

As the streams pass the ends of the cup, the circuit connection will be broken, and for the arrangement shown ln Fig. 2 it will be noted that contact is made between the left and right hand terminals i3 during the period determined by the arcuate length of the cups on the left and right hand sides.

When. the streams reach the upper and lower cups ll, a new circuit connection is effected between top and bottom terminals I3 to complete a circuit therebetween for the period measured by the arcuate length of the top and bottom cups li. It will be appreciated that the cups ll may be congured as to their arcuate length, so that the circuit connections established between a pair of cups may be for periods of differing extent during a cycle or revolution of the rotor I5. The provision of the radial ribs I2 serves to retard the tendency of the mercury in the main body to rotate with the rotor I5.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissionsA and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit breaker comprising a receptacle containing electrically conductive liquid, a rotor supported by the surface of said liquid and rotatable therein, rotating means for the rotor, said the supporting liquid whereby upon rotation, liquid will iiow through the duct and emit a stream of liquid, a contact element located in the path of said stream whereby as the rotor turns, an electrical connection is completed between the liquid in the receptacle and said contact element.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which the rotor has a permanent magnet integral therewith in its upper surface, and the rotating means comprises a second permanent magnet and means for rotating the same in a plane parallel to the plane of the iirst magnet, magnetic attraction causing the iii-st magnet to turn with the second.

3. A circuit breaker comprising an enclosed chamber, a quantity of mercury therein extending to a predetermined level, a circular cup within the chamber with thev rim thereof above the said level, a rotor supported by said mercury within said ring, means for rotating the rotor, a radial duet connecting the base of the rotor with a point on its outer surface above the level of the rim of said cup, rotation of the rotor causing mercury to iow by centrifugal action, through said duct into said cup, said cup being filled with mercury whereby the amount received from the duct will pour over the rim back into the base of the receptacle. HANS P. LUHN.

REFERENCES @FEED The renewing references are of record in the le of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 20, 1920 

